1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to adjustable end brackets for shelves, and more particularly to end brackets which are used with modular coated wire shelves.
2. Prior Art
In hot, moist climates it is desirable to store mildew-sensitive items, such as clothing, on shelves made of spaced wire rods coated with plastic in order to promote air circulation about and through the items and thus reduce the likelihood of mildew damage. Typically, these shelves include vertically spaced upper and lower rails, a back rail, and a plurality of stringers which extend between the back rail and the upper and lower rails and are evenly spaced along the length of the rails. The shelves are modular and are sized to fit within a standard size closet.
There are a number of means for mounting a modular coated wire shelf in a closet. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,064 discloses a modular coated wire shelf having front and rear wall mounting brackets. The front wall mounting bracket, or end bracket, is secured to a wall by a screw and a wall anchor, if necessary, and includes a U-shaped channel shaped to receive the upper and lower rails. In one embodiment, a spacer is positioned between the upper and lower rails in the U-shaped channel to prevent the weight of the load resting on the stringers from deflecting the upper rail toward the lower rail.
A disadvantage of the aforementioned end brackets is that they do not prevent slippage of the shelf with respect to the brackets while it is mounted in the closet. No closet has precisely the same inside width as a modular shelf and consequently there exists a certain amount of play between the shelf and the walls of the closet. As loads are added and removed from the shelf during use, flexing of the rails occurs which causes the ends of the rails to move relative to the end brackets thereby varying the stresses placed upon the brackets with the result that the brackets may loosen themselves from the wall.